Morning Wire - Evening Wire: U.S. Fighter Jet Down & March Job Numbers Surprise | 4.3.26

Episode Date: April 3, 2026

A U.S. F15 has been downed in Iran, prompting a swift search and rescue mission, Pam Bondi responds to being removed as AG, and the Artemis II astronauts hold a press conference from space. Get the facts first with Evening Wire. - - - Ep. 2716 - - - Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3  - - - Privacy Policy: ⁠https://www.dailywire.com/privacy⁠ morning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A U.S. F-15 has been downed in Iran prompting a swift search and rescue mission. Pambandi responds to being removed as AG and the Artemis 2 astronauts hold a press conference from space. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley. It's April 3rd. Happy Good Friday. And this is Evening Wire. A U.S. fighter jet was shot down while flying over Iran today, and the U.S. military has launched a major search and rescue operation. Daily Wire Reporter, Zach Jewell, has more.

The confirmation from U.S. officials came after Iranian state media said early this morning that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down a U.S. F-15 fighter jet over the southern Tehran province. Reports indicate that at least one pilot has been recovered while the search for the other continues. The regime-controlled media also published photos online appearing to show parts of a jet, and an Iranian state broadcaster told residents of the province to capture the, quote, enemies pilot or pilots and hand them over to Iranian forces for a reward. Israeli journalist Amit Seagal reported that the United States has activated, quote, large forces as part of a search and rescue operation.

In a separate incident, a U.S. A10 whart hog went down around the same time near the Strait of Hormuz, though, according to officials, the lone pilot was safely rescued. War Secretary Pete Hecteth has asked the Army's top uniformed officer, General Randy George, to step down. The Pentagon announced the move Thursday, stating simply that the general will be retiring from his position as the 41st chief of staff of the Army effective immediately. Meanwhile, Hexeth also announced Thursday that he was ending the policy that turned U.S. military installations into gun-free zones, declaring in a brief statement that ends today. The Second Amendment to our Constitution enshrines the right of all citizens to carry weapons to protect themselves, their families, and their fellow countrymen. our warfighters defend the right of others to carry, they should be able to carry themselves.

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo has issued a security alert for Americans in Egypt. The alert states that it will keep the travel advisory at level two, meaning exercise increased caution with do not travel guidance for the northern and middle Sinai regions, along with parts of the western desert. The Post specifically warns about the threat of Iranian-aligned actors who have expressed interest in planning and carrying out attacks in the region. The State Department also warns travelers that fees at the commonly used Taba border exit have doubled. The Artemis 2 mission is officially headed to the moon after NASA gave the go-ahead for its Orion spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit for the next stage of its historic space mission. Orion fired its main engine at 7.49 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, sending it out of Earth's orbit toward the moon.

Soon afterwards, the four astronauts held a press conference floating inside the craft. Commander Reed Wiseman, who's leading the mission, began by giving a shallow. out to the astronauts' families. Here's Weisman. There was a moment about an hour ago where Mission Control Houston reoriented our spacecraft as the sun was setting behind the earth. And I don't know what we all expected to see in that moment, but you could see the entire globe from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe, and if you looked really close, you could see the northern lights. It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks.

U.S. employers added 178,000 jobs in March, far exceeding expectations and signaling resilience, even as the Iran war began to unfold. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.3%. The data suggests the economy was holding steady, heading into the conflict, but it also complicates the Fed's next move. A stronger labor market could make it harder to justify cutting interest rates anytime soon. The wildcard now, rising energy prices from the war, which could still ripple through the economy in the months ahead. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi has responded to her removal from the position. Daily Wire Assistant editor Andy Valdez reports. In a statement issued after Trump's announcement, Bondi said that, quote, leading President Trump's historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime. She touted it as, quote, easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history.

Among the DOJ's accomplishments under her tenure, she cited securing the lowest murder rate in 125 years, the first ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa, shattering domestic and transnational gangs across the country, taking custody of more than 90 key cartel figures, and winning 24 favorable rulings at the Supreme Court. CBS News editor-in-chief Barry Weiss is preparing a major shake-up at 60 minutes. Daily Wire Lifestyle reporter Lauren Baer has more. Sources revealed to the New York Post that layoffs could hit CBS as early as June, potentially affecting top correspondence and producers after the network already cut about 6% of its workforce last month.

Insiders say Weiss wants to steer the program away from what she views as an overabundance of softer features, like recent segments on chess boxing, dog aging research, and luxury watchmaking, and refocus it on hard-hitting investigative journalism. Discussions reportedly include possible changes at the top, contract decisions involving key figures like Scott Pelly, and broader efforts to bring in new talent and, quote, break down silos. Even as some inside the network argue such moves could amount to, quote, ransacking the place if longstanding leadership is replaced.

The political polling is not looking good for Republicans, but it's nothing to write home about for Democrats either. Right now, Democrats have a clear electoral advantage heading into midterms, with a five-point edge on the generic ballot, and a far more robust 16-point advantage among voters who say they're deeply motivated to vote. That's according to a new CNN poll that also shows a majority of Americans not approving of Trump's handling of the presidency so far. But that same poll also shows that the Democratic Party is in the gutter when it comes to public opinion. Here's CNN's Harry Inton giving Democrats the bad news. These numbers are just atrociously awful.

45% of Democrats say that congressional Democrats have the right parties. A stunning scandal out of Mount Everest, where some guides stand accused of deliberately making tourist climbers, sick for profit. Daily Wire reporter Lyndon Blake has the details. Authorities in Nepal say guides, helicopter operators, and even hospital staff were all in cahoots to lace food with baking soda, causing symptoms that mimic altitude sickness. Climers were then pressured into emergency helicopter evacuations with fraudulent medical reports used to bill international insurers. Police say the scheme may have generated nearly $20 million with dozens now charged in when officials are calling an organized crime operation. The fallout is raising serious questions about

safety on Everest and whether some of the world's most dangerous climbs were made even riskier by these alleged Hema liars. The Hollywood job market is collapsing at a rapid rate. Daily Wire Entertainment reporter Amanda Harding has the story. The Hollywood job market is collapsing at an alarming rate. The Wall Street Journal found the entertainment motion picture and video production employment saw a 30% reduction in jobs as compared to 2022. That includes work for actors, carpenters, costume makers, and the hundreds of other professions behind movies and TV shows. Studios are making fewer movies and shows in general, and when they do, those projects are often being made in countries that offer cheaper prices for filming. Studios, labor unions,

and soundstage owners have been pushing for a federal tax incentive of 15%, which could be combined with state incentives ranging from 20% to 40%. They claim this would entice studios to bring back production to the U.S. But even if those incentives brought the action back to Hollywood, it wouldn't solve the issue of a general downturn and output and falling box office numbers. And Easter baskets are getting a major update this year, thanks to social media. From TikTok-fueled trends to luxury sweets, 2026 is all about bigger, bolder, and more interactive treats. Freeze-dried candy is surging in popularity, while high-end chocolate eggs filled with everything from pistachio cream to layered textures are also going viral.

oversized smash eggs and even 10-pound chocolate bunnies are turning baskets into full-on experiences designed to be cracked open on camera. At the same time, there's also a push for healthier options, including lower sugar and cleaner ingredient candy gaining popularity. All right, those are your drive-home updates on this Good Friday edition of Morning Wire. To learn more about these stories, go to Dailywire.com. And in case you missed it earlier, today, we covered some major stories, including the fallout from the firing of Pam Bondi.

on the Artemis II mission and the California fraud fire spreading. We'll be back tomorrow morning with a weekend edition of Morning Wire.